Seed balls to roll out this Environment Day

‘MILLION SEED BALLS’ CAMPAIGN
Seed balls to roll out this Environment Day
Deccan HErald

For more information, contact Sunil at 99455 46470 or Divya on 99860 76971 or log onto www.millionseedballs.org

This World Environment Day, on June 5, the buzzword in the City is likely to be ‘A million seed balls’.

Designed by Biodiversity Conservation India Limited and Alt Tech Foundation, the ‘Million Seed balls’ campaign aims to scatter a million seed balls this year in and around parts of Bangalore where there is scant greenery like Whitefield, Yelahanka, Nandi Hills, Kolar and Kengeri.

The scheme of things, according to Divya Chinnappa of Margabandhu Consultants, one of the partners, is simple. “All that one has to do is to make a ball out of clay, pop a seed into it, roll the clay and allow it to harden for a day in the shade. When the seed balls are dry, we, in association with Navachetana Trust, will collect and give them to rural communities and self-help groups to scatter before the rains begin,” she said. These communities will not only scatter the seed balls, but they will also maintain the planted areas for the next three years, she added.

“The idea belongs to Mr Masanobu Fukuoka of Japan. We found it to be a very efficient way, for it incubates the seeds and protects it from natural forces like wind, which could stall its growth. Research has shown that 50 to 70 per cent of the seeds scattered in this manner will survive,” Ms Anuradha Eshwar of Alt Tech Foundation, said. Besides, we have chosen only indigenous varieties of seeds such as neem, sampige, honge, peepul, kadamba and others. So the success rate should be greater, she added.

While initially the campaign focussed on corporate and business organisations, schools and colleges, we also had queries from individuals who wished to know how they could contribute. So we are planning to have a mela wherein individuals can help in making as many seed balls at malls like Forum and other public places.

“We could have easily asked the rural communities to do the job. But we wanted to sensitise the urban minds towards the environment. But we found that people loved it. It turned adults into children again, dipping hands in the mud and so on,” she explained.

“There is a lot of sense in the seed ball,” said Ms Eshwar, and hoped that they could create a record of sorts by making one million seed balls by June 5.